Tornado in Pierce County tears apart roof, lifts cars

PIERCE COUNTY — A building in Frederickson was evacuated Monday morning as a rare tornado reportedly ripped through the area, Central Pierce Fire and Rescue officials said.

Assistant Chief Ed Hrivnak said a funnel cloud was spotted around 7:45 a.m. near the intersection of 190th and Canyon Road. Officials said the Northwest Door building was evacuated after the roof was severely damaged from high winds. Firefighters were on the scene but not able to access the roof because of lightning in the area.

Central Pierce Fire tweeted this photo after a funnel hit the area

Firefighters from Central Pierce tweeted a photo of the building damage. No injuries were reported. Cars were reportedly lifted off the ground as the winds were so high, Hrivnak said.

“It appears a funnel cloud did touch down because several hundred feet of roof was damaged,” Hrivnak said. “There is quite a bit of debris on Canyon Road.”

Officials at a Boeing plant in Frederickson said employees were asked to “shelter in place” while the storm moved through. One building at the plant was slightly damaged, but normal operations were again underway by 11:15 a.m.

The National Weather Service confirmed it was seen in the area, and the agency has received numerous reports of trailers overturned from high wind.

The reported tornado comes on the tail end of a strong weather system that brought driving rains, high winds and mountain snow to the area.